When to plant in High Prairie, AB
Planting dates worked out from High Prairie's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 4
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 21
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 15
1 year in 10 by Sep 4
Frost-free days
120
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Ballater · 48.3 km away · station 564 m, town 593 m. How we match towns to stations
The nearest reliable station is 48 km away, so frost dates here may be off by a week or more. Check them against local experience.
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Jul 29 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Aug 3 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 3 |
| Peas | — | Apr 24 – May 22 | Jun 18 |
| Bush beans | — | May 28 – Jun 18 | Jul 17 |
| Carrot | — | May 2 – Jun 13 | Jul 1 |
| Beet | — | May 2 – Jun 13 | Jun 21 |
| Potato | — | May 2 – May 23 | Jul 11 |
| Kale | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 13 |
| Broccoli | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jun 23 |
| Cucumber | May 7 – May 14 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Jul 24 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 7 – May 14 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Jul 19 |
| Winter squash | May 7 – May 14 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Aug 23 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 28 – Jun 18 | Jul 27 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jul 23 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 1 – Sep 29 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 24 – May 22 | Jun 1 |
| Basil | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Jul 31 |
High Prairie's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1991 | May 24 |
| 1992 | May 21 |
| 1993 | May 4 |
| 1994 | May 28 |
| 1995 | May 25 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 23 |
| 1998 | Jun 14 |
| 1999 | Jun 7 |
| 2000 | May 29 |
| 2001 | May 11 |
| 2002 | May 9 |
| 2003 | May 18 |
| 2004 | May 23 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | May 3 |
| 2007 | May 24 |
| 2008 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Jun 4 |
| 2012 | May 18 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 115 |
| 1992 | 92 |
| 1993 | 133 |
| 1994 | 122 |
| 1995 | 115 |
| 1996 | 112 |
| 1997 | 116 |
| 1998 | 92 |
| 1999 | 38 |
| 2000 | 114 |
| 2001 | 122 |
| 2002 | 136 |
| 2003 | 121 |
| 2004 | 119 |
| 2005 | 132 |
| 2006 | 136 |
| 2007 | 115 |
| 2008 | 135 |
| 2011 | 125 |
| 2012 | 138 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 13.1 °C |
| 1992 | 11.6 °C |
| 1993 | 12.0 °C |
| 1994 | 13.2 °C |
| 1995 | 12.2 °C |
| 1996 | 10.7 °C |
| 1997 | 11.8 °C |
| 1998 | 14.1 °C |
| 1999 | 12.0 °C |
| 2000 | 10.7 °C |
| 2001 | 12.2 °C |
| 2002 | 11.2 °C |
| 2003 | 11.8 °C |
| 2004 | 11.6 °C |
| 2005 | 11.7 °C |
| 2006 | 13.4 °C |
| 2007 | 11.7 °C |
| 2008 | 12.3 °C |
| 2009 | 12.3 °C |
| 2011 | 13.1 °C |
| 2012 | 14.3 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Ballater (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.